This invention relates generally to a boat used for diving. In particular, the present invention relates to a boat having a dive elevator for allowing a diver to easily exit and board the boat.
Water sports such as dividing and snorkeling are very popular today, and many people enjoy diving and snorkeling from a boat in order to distance themselves from land or explore various underwater locations. Part of the attraction to these sports is that many people with physical ailments (including back problems, leg injuries, arm injuries, and countless other conditions) can participate, and indeed swimming and other water activities are often suggested by medical practitioners for physical rehabilitation. Nevertheless, there has been a large obstacle to diving, swimming, and snorkeling from a boat for many people—the acts of entering the water from the boat and returning to the boat from the water.
Various proposals for platforms, ladders, and stairways that ease the exiting and boarding processes are found in the art, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,025,747; 5,537,949; 6,058,875; 6,119,809; and 6,182,598. While assembly effective for their intended purposes, these devices do not provide enough assistance to those able to dive or snorkel but unable to physically master stairs or a ladder.
In recognizing the difficulties that many people encounter when entering the water from a boat and entering a boat from the water, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,540 discloses a mechanism chair lift system securable to a hinged stairway system for attachment to the side of a water vehicle. A user sits in a chair that is mechanically maneuvered at an angle between the boat and the water. Though this would assumably aid many people, it requires the user to sit down before being lowered and raised, and it enlarges the footprint of the boat. This seating requirement would be very difficult for those with certain ailments, such as back or hip problems, and should be avoided if possible. It would also be advantageous to keep the boat's footprint to a minimum in order to navigate shallow waters and reach certain areas. Clearly , a boat with means for transporting users to and from the water without requiring a certain configuration of the user would be advantageous since it could be used by a broader range of those with physical ailments.